Support system for aerodynamic skirt assembly and method of installation thereof

ABSTRACT

Aerodynamic skirt systems are used to reduce air drag of a vehicle. The present aerodynamic skirt system comprises a skirt panel, a plurality of struts, each strut comprising an upper portion for securing an upper portion of the skirt panel to the trailer, a strut member connected, at a first end thereof, to the upper portion of the strut, a lower portion for securing a lower portion of the skirt panel, the lower portion being connected to the strut member at a second end thereof, the strut member including a concave portion adapted to sustain a force applied by air routing on the aerodynamic skirt in an aerodynamic configuration thereof, the strut member being adapted to buckle and bend when a force exceeding a buckling threshold is applied on the aerodynamic skirt to move the aerodynamic skirt in an object avoidance configuration. A kit and a method of use thereof is also presented.

CROSS-REFERENCE

The present application relates to and is a non-provisional applicationclaiming priority under 35 U.S.C. §119(e) from U.S. Provisional PatentApplication No. 62/215,129, filed Sep. 7, 2015 under 35 U.S.C. §111,entitled SUPPORT SYSTEM FOR AERODYNAMIC SKIRT ASSEMBLY AND METHOD OFINSTALLATION THEREOF and also relates to and is a non-provisionalapplication claiming priority under 35 U.S.C. §119(e) from U.S.Provisional Patent Application No. 62/314,082, filed Mar. 28, 2016 under35 U.S.C. §111, entitled SELF-REPOSITIONING STRUT PORTION FORAERODYNAMIC SKIRT, which are both incorporated herein by reference inits entirety.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention generally relates to a strut for aerodynamic skirt. Moreprecisely, the invention relates to a self-repositioning strut forsecuring an aerodynamic skirt to a vehicle to improve the aerodynamicefficiency of the vehicle.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Road tractors are used to pull semi-trailers on roads to transportcargo. Aerodynamic apparatuses are installed on the road tractor and/oron the semi-trailer in order to reduce the aerodynamic air drag andimprove fuel efficiency.

Trailer skirts made of rigid materials are installed on both lateralsides of a road trailer to help manage the flow of air around andunderneath the trailer. Brackets, also made of rigid material, areaffixed to the trailer to secure the skirts positioned thereto. Theseaerodynamic skirts are secured to the bottom portion of the trailer, orto the sides of the trailer's floor, to ensure proper positioning whenthe vehicle is moving.

People who are familiar with the trucking industry know that trailersare built in various configurations. Frame assembly of trailer can usemembers and beams of different dimensions. For example, an I-beam, thatis commonly used in trailer manufacturing, also known as H-beam, W-beam(for “wide flange”), Universal Beam (UB), Rolled Steel Joist (RSJ), ordouble-T, is a beam with an I or H-shaped cross-section. The horizontalelements of the “I” are known as flanges, while the vertical element istermed the “web”. I-beams are usually made of structural steel, oraluminum, and are used in construction and civil engineering. The webresists shear forces, while the flanges resist most of the bendingmoment experienced by the beam. Beam theory shows that the I-shapedsection is a very efficient form for carrying both bending and shearloads in the plane of the web. An adaptable securing mechanism is hencedesirable to adapt to a range of I-beam dimensions.

The skirts, because of their position under the trailer's floor andtheir proximity with the road, are significantly vulnerable and mighteasily enter in contact with surrounding obstacles. Portions of thesecuring mechanism holding the skirts, when put under significantstress, plastically bend and/or break to effect the skirts' position inrespect to the road trailer thus reducing the efficiency of the skirts.Additionally, the assembly can be crooked or not precisely aligned,which is causing additional challenges to secure the aerodynamic skirtassembly to the vehicle.

Aerodynamic skirt assemblies in the art are complex to install given themany adjustments required to match the precise configuration of eachtrailer. The number of parts required to secure the strut to the traileris generally significant and time consuming to assemble. Also, theweight of the skirt assembly is important to prevent unduly addingweight to the trailer and hence increase its fuel consumption.

Skirt supporting struts in the art have a linear deflection rate that isproportional to the force applied thereto. The struts need to be rigidenough to remain in their operating position and channel efficiently airaround the trailer. This required rigidity is significant and isdetrimental to proper flexing of the skirt assembly when contacting aforeign object.

Therefore, there exists a need in the art for an improved aerodynamicskirt assembly over the existing art. There is a need in the art for animproved skirt-securing strut adapted to recover its original shapeafter contacting a foreign object. There is also a need for askirt-securing strut that can flex, can be economically manufactured andeasily installed.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is one aspect of the present invention to alleviate one or more ofthe drawbacks of the background art by addressing one or more of theexisting needs in the art.

Accordingly, embodiments of this invention provide an improved traileraerodynamic skirt assembly over the prior art.

An aspect of one or more embodiments of the invention provides ashock-resistant skirt assembly adapted to be installed on a semi-trailerto reduce the aerodynamic drag produced by the movement of the trailerwhen pulled by a tractor.

An aspect of one or more embodiments of the invention provides a concavestrut for an aerodynamic skirt support mechanism to resiliently securean aerodynamic skirt panel on a trailer.

An aspect of one or more embodiments of the invention provides aself-repositioning strut that is adapted to bend when it contacts aforeign object and recovers its original position and shape thereafter.

An aspect of one or more embodiments of the invention provides a strutadapted to bend/flex with significant displacement without breaking,when the skirt assembly contacts a foreign object, and that isself-recovering its original position and shape thereafter.

An aspect of one or more embodiments of the invention provides aone-part integrated strut fixedly securing an upper portion andresiliently securing a lower portion of a skirt panel.

An aspect of one or more embodiments of the invention provides a strutportion having a height sized and designed to flex when the skirtassembly contacts a foreign object and returns to equilibrium uponremoval of the contact with the foreign object.

An aspect of one or more embodiments of the invention provides a strutincluding a flex portion adapted to keep an aerodynamic configurationwhen under a predetermined mechanical load and adapted to buckle in anobject avoidance configuration when a load exceeding the predeterminedmechanical load is applied thereto.

An aspect of one or more embodiments of the invention provides a strutincluding a flex portion with a concave portion.

An aspect of one or more embodiments of the invention provides a strutportion including a semi-circular shape having a concave side facing theskirt panel.

An aspect of one or more embodiments of the invention provides a strutportion including a semi-circular shape having a convex side facing theskirt panel.

An aspect of one or more embodiments of the invention provides a strutportion including openings therein for receiving therein a connectorportion therethrough for securing the strut portion to a trailer.

An aspect of one or more embodiments of the invention provides a strutportion including a stabilizer for transferring mechanical loads to atrailer when the strut sustains a mechanical load.

An aspect of one or more embodiments of the invention provides a strutportion including alignment guides for locating the strut portion to atrailer.

An aspect of one or more embodiments of the invention provides a strutfor securing an aerodynamic skirt panel to a trailer, the strutcomprising an upper portion for securing an upper portion of theaerodynamic skirt to the trailer, a strut member connected, at a firstend thereof, to the upper portion of the strut, a lower portion forsecuring a lower portion of the aerodynamic skirt, the lower portionbeing connected to the strut member at a second end thereof, the strutmember including a concave portion adapted to sustain a force applied byair routing on the aerodynamic skirt in an aerodynamic configurationthereof, the strut member being adapted to buckle and bend when a forceexceeding a buckling threshold is applied on the aerodynamic skirt tomove the aerodynamic skirt in an object avoidance configuration.

An aspect of one or more embodiments of the invention provides anaerodynamic skirt system comprising a skirt panel, a plurality ofstruts, each strut comprising an upper portion for securing an upperportion of the skirt panel to the trailer, a strut member connected, ata first end thereof, to the upper portion of the strut, a lower portionfor securing a lower portion of the skirt panel, the lower portion beingconnected to the strut member at a second end thereof, the strut memberincluding a concave portion adapted to sustain a force applied by airrouting on the aerodynamic skirt in an aerodynamic configurationthereof, the strut member being adapted to buckle and bend when a forceexceeding a buckling threshold is applied on the aerodynamic skirt tomove the aerodynamic skirt in an object avoidance configuration.

Accordingly, embodiments of this invention provide an improved resilienttrailer aerodynamic skirt assembly over the prior art.

Other embodiments and further scope of applicability of the presentinvention will become apparent from the detailed description givenhereinafter. However, it should be understood that the detaileddescription and specific examples, while indicating preferredembodiments of the invention, are given by way of illustration only,since various changes and modifications within the spirit and scope ofthe invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from thisdetailed description.

Additional and/or alternative advantages and salient features of theinvention will become apparent from the following detailed description,which, taken in conjunction with the annexed drawings, disclosepreferred embodiments of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Referring now to the drawings which form a part of this originaldisclosure:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation view of a vehicle with a trailer inaccordance with at least one embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a side elevation view of a portion of a trailer in accordancewith at least one embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 3 is an isometric exploded view of an aerodynamic skirt inaccordance with at least one embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 4 is an isometric view of a strut in accordance with at least oneembodiment of the invention;

FIG. 5 is a front elevation view of a strut in accordance with at leastone embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 6 is a back elevation view of a strut in accordance with at leastone embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 7 is a side elevation view of a strut in accordance with at leastone embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 8 is a top plan view of a strut in accordance with at least oneembodiment of the invention;

FIG. 9 is an isometric view of a securing mechanism in accordance withat least one embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 10 is an isometric view of a securing mechanism in accordance withat least one embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 11 is a side elevation view of a securing mechanism in accordancewith at least one embodiment of the invention

FIG. 12 is an isometric view of a portion of a securing mechanism inaccordance with at least one embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 13 is a front elevation view of a portion of a securing mechanismin accordance with at least one embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 14 is a side elevation view of a securing mechanism in accordancewith at least one embodiment of the invention

FIG. 15 is an isometric view of a strut attached to a trailer's floorbeam in accordance with at least one embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 16 is a front elevation view of a strut attached to a trailer'sfloor beam in accordance with at least one embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 17 is a side elevation view of a strut attached to a trailer'sfloor beam in accordance with at least one embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 18 is a top plan view of a strut attached to a trailer's floor beamin accordance with at least one embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 19 is a front elevation view of a portion of a strut attached to atrailer's floor beam in accordance with at least one embodiment of theinvention;

FIG. 20 is a front elevation view of a portion of a strut attached to atrailer's floor beam in accordance with at least one embodiment of theinvention;

FIG. 21 is an isometric view of a portion of a strut attached to atrailer's floor beam in accordance with at least one embodiment of theinvention;

FIG. 22 is a perspective view of a portion of a securing mechanism inaccordance with at least one embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 23 is an isometric view of a strut attached to a trailer's floorbeam in accordance with at least one embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 24 is a top plan view a strut attached to a trailer's floor beam inaccordance with at least one embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 25 is an isometric view of a strut in accordance with at least oneembodiment of the invention;

FIG. 26 is a front elevation view of a strut attached to a trailer'sfloor beam in accordance with at least one embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 27 is a back elevation view of a two struts attached to a trailer'sfloor beam having two different heights in accordance with at least oneembodiment of the invention;

FIG. 28 is a back elevation view of a strut in accordance with at leastone embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 29 is a side elevation view of a strut in accordance with at leastone embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 30 is a top plan view of a strut in accordance with at least oneembodiment of the invention;

FIG. 31 is a perspective view of a portion of a strut in accordance withat least one embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 32 is a perspective view of a portion of a strut in accordance withat least one embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 33 is a perspective view of a portion of a strut in accordance withat least one embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 34 is a perspective view of a portion of a strut in accordance withat least one embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 35 is a perspective view of a portion of a strut in accordance withat least one embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 36 is a perspective view of a portion of a strut in accordance withat least one embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 37 is a top plan section view of a portion of a strut in accordancewith at least one embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 38 is a side elevation view of a strut in accordance with at leastone embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 39 is a graph illustrating a load vs displacement of a strut inaccordance with at least one embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 40 is a perspective view of a strut in accordance with at least oneembodiment of the invention; and

FIG. 41 is a perspective view of a strut in accordance with at least oneembodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

A preferred embodiment of the present invention is described below withreference to the drawings. FIG. 1, FIG. 2 and FIG. 3 illustrate a roadtractor 10 with a trailer 20 attached thereto equipped with a pair ofskirt assemblies 30, installed on each side of the trailer 20 along alongitudinal axis 34, adapted to deflect and direct the airflow aroundthe trailer 20. Each aerodynamic skirt assembly 30 includes a skirtpanel 38, adapted to be disposed on the side of the trailer 20, and aplurality of securing mechanisms 42 adapted to secure the skirt panel 38to the trailer 20. The securing mechanisms 42 are visible although notclearly illustrated in FIG. 1, FIG. 2 and FIG. 3 and will be discussedin more details below. Once installed on the trailer 20, the skirtassembly 30 helps channel the flow of air around the trailer 20 toreduce the air drag of the vehicle when the trailer 20 moves on theroad, pulled by the road tractor 10. One can appreciate from FIG. 1 thatthe trailer 20 includes slider rail 24 used to adjust the location ofthe set of wheels 50 on the trailer 20, thus interacting with the lengthof the skirt panel 38.

The skirt assembly 30 of the present embodiment is mostly located underthe trailer 20, between the wheels 46 of the road tractor 10 and thewheels 50 of the trailer 20. The skirt panels 38 can alternativelyextend forward up to the trailer supports 54, also known as landinggears, and be secured thereto thus preventing complex skirt panel 38arrangements through the securing mechanism 42. The skirt panels 38 aresubstantially vertically positioned on each side of the trailer 20,preferably located as a vertical continuity of the trailer's side/wall,with a clearance with the ground by illustratively about 15-25centimeters (about 6 to 12 inches). The air management around thetrailer 20 provided by the skirt assembly 30 reduces the air dragcreated by the trailer 20 by directing the flow of air around thetrailer 20. The flow of air would otherwise turbulently move around andbelow the trailer 20 to create substantial air drag. The airflowmanagement around the trailer 20 provided by the skirt assembly 30 helpsmaintain laminar airflow around the trailer 20 that diminishes fuelconsumption of the road tractor 10. The skirt assembly 30 also improvesthe safety of the vehicle by providing a barrier that can substantiallyrestrict objects to get under the trailer 20.

As illustrated, the skirt panel 38 is shaped with an optionalprogressive height 62 from a front portion 58 thereof. The skirt panels38 can alternatively also be installed at an angle, in respect to thevertical (not illustrated), on the trailer 20 to change the airflowpattern around the trailer 20 and more precisely adjust the aerodynamicsto a specific vehicle shape.

It can be appreciated in FIG. 2 that each skirt panel 38 is installeddirectly on the side of the trailer 20 and, when seen from above, thefront portion 58 that optionally progressively proximally leans angle 66toward the center 34 of the trailer 20. The recessed front portion 58 ofthe skirt panel 38 improves the management of turbulent airflowgenerated by the road tractor 10 thus improving the aerodynamicefficiency of the skirt assembly 30. Additional explanation about theshape of the skirt panel 38 will be provided in further details below.

FIG. 4 throughout FIG. 8 are illustrating a securing mechanism 42including a connector portion 80 and a strut portion 84 both centeredalong vertical axis 44. The strut portion 84 includes a strut member 90,with a flex portion 104 thereof, securing the skirt panel 38 to a lowerportion 94 thereof. In the illustrated embodiment, a planar section 98includes holes 102 therein for securing the lower portion 94 of theskirt panel 38 with fasteners or rivets, for example. The strut portion84 includes a securing portion 106 to which is connected the strutportion 84. The securing portion 106 includes a stabilizer 110, atrailer contacting portion 114, a skirt panel contacting portion 118 anda pair of securing wings 120. A stabilizer 110 is located proximal tothe longitudinal axis 34 of the trailer 20 when installed on a trailer20, proximally extending from a projection 70 of the strut member 90 tocreate a lever that help sustains the loads applied on the strut portion84 by the skirt panel 38. The skirt panel contacting portion 118includes a planar section 122 provided with a series of holes 126therein for securing an upper portion 92 of the skirt panel 38 withfasteners or rivets, for example. Both planar section 98, 122 arepreferably aligned along a unique vertical plane 74 for efficientlycontacting the skirt panel 38. The trailer contacting portion 114includes openings 130 therein to receive therein the connector portion80 for securing the strut portion 84 to the trailer 20.

The connector portion 80 is embodied as two opposed clamps 134configured to be secured together with, for instance, two fasteners 138.The two opposed clamps 134 are securing together the trailer contactingportion 114 of the strut portion 84 with a lower portion of an I-beam asillustrated in FIG. 13 throughout FIG. 18. Each clamp 134 uses aninclined member 160 and two contacting portions 162, 166 for securingthe connector portion 80 with the I-beam 142. However, we will firstdescribe in further details the connector portion 80 before discussingthe interaction between the strut portion 84, the connector portion 80and the I-beam 142.

Moving now to FIG. 10 throughout FIG. 11, a connector portion 80 isillustrated. The connector portion 80 is preferably made of two similaropposed clamps 134 to simplify the assembly and reduce the manufacturingcost. The clamps 134 are made of a strong material capable ofwithstanding significant mechanical loads and can be shaped with a punchand die process. Metal, or the like, can be used. A material resistantto corrosion, or a protective layer, is also desirable given thecondition of use of the connector portion 80 to prevent rust toundesirably attack the connector portion 80.

Each clamp 134 is, in the present embodiment, made of bent sheet metalthat is forming a collecting portion 146, a securing portion 150 and acontacting portion 154. The collecting portion 146 includes a collectingmember 158 embodied as an inclined member 160 positioned at an angle a,that is about between 30 degree and about 45 degree, and more preferablyabout 34 degree in the illustrated embodiment, to collect thereinsections of I-beams 142 having different dimensions and thicknesses. Thecollecting member 158 merges into a first contacting portion 162,configured to laterally abut sides of an I-beam 142, that merges into asecond contacting portion 166 configured to vertically contact a surfaceof the connector portion 80. A securing portion 170 is formed between afirst protruding member 174 and a second protruding member 178. Bothmembers 174, 178 are extending about a similar distance to allow leveledabutment of the two clamps 134 when secured and pulled toward each otherwith an intervening I-beam 142 having optimal dimensions. The secondprotruding member 178 is also helpful to prevent premature rotation ofthe assembly when tightening the bolts 138 by its lever action andtouching each other along a line to provide resistance to rotation tothe assembly. Additional bents 182 are performed on the clamp 134 toincrease the mechanical strength thereof. An elastic member 186,embodied as an elastic band in the embodiment, is used to keep bothclamps 134 together in clamping position prior to secure the clamps 134to the I-beam 142. Helical springs 188 can optionally be used topretense the assembly as illustrated in FIG. 10. The pre-assembly of thetwo clamps 134 are allowing suspending the pre-assembly of the twoclamps 134 to the I-beam 1 to connect the parts of the aerodynamic skirtassembly 30 in place before securing them in a final operatingconfiguration. Distance 190 is preferably configured to be close to zero(0) when the two clamps are secured toward each other and two timesdistance 194 is preferably configured to be close to a thickness of acentral member of the I-beam 142 when the clamps 134 are secured to anarrow I-beam 142. Conversely, distance 190.1 and 190.2 is going toincrease when the clamps 134 are secured to a wider I-beam. Holes 198are made in the securing portion 170 to accommodate bolts 138 therein tosecure both clamps 134 together. The interaction of the securingmechanism 42 with an I-beam 142 is depicted in FIG. 15 throughout FIG.16.

It can be appreciated from FIG. 13 throughout FIG. 18, the collectingportion 146, with the inclined member 160, is compressing togethervertically (y) and laterally (x) the trailer-contacting portion 114 anda lower portion 202 of the I-beam 142. The illustrated structure alsohas the capacity to adapt to a variety of I-beams 142. The lower portion202 (bottom flange) of the I-beam can be wider 206 and/or thicker 210and still be captured and secured by the connection portion 90 of thesecuring mechanism 42. Typically, the lower portion 202 of the I-beam142 is illustratively varying from about 38 mm to about 80 mm width, andthickness of about 3 mm to about 13 mm. This is illustrated in FIG. 19and in FIG. 20.

As identified in FIG. 17, the strut portion 84 is, for instance, sizedand designed to buckle when a force F of about between 400 N to 600 N isapplied along the longitudinal axis 308. The buckling force F canalternatively be between about 450 N to 550 N. A narrower range of forceF can alternatively be between about 470 N to 520 N without departingfrom the scope of the present invention. Corresponding force appliednormal to the skirt panel can be inferred from the axial buckling forceabove.

One can appreciate the I-beam 142 is parallel with the central axis 144of the I-beam 142 in FIG. 15 throughout FIG. 21 and in FIG. 23 and FIG.24. The securing mechanism 42 is constructed to keep the pair of clamps134 aligned and allow misalignment of the strut portion 84 in respectwith the I-beam 142 of the trailer 42. The alignment between the clamps134 can be made by contacting the contacting portions 154 together.However, in a case of a wider I-beam 142, a spacer 220 can be requiredto space apart the contacting portions 154. The spacer 220, better seenin FIG. 22 can be made of different material having suitable mechanicalproperties like steel, aluminum or plastic. The spacer 220 includesoptional voids 224 and ribs 228 to lighten the spacer 220, reduce curingtime, eliminate sink marks and reinforce desirable areas thereof. Thespacer further includes fastener-receiving portions 228 configured toreceive fasteners 138 therein. A misalignment between the strut portion84 and the I-beam 142 of the trailer 42 can occur if the trailer 20 hasI-beams 142 that are not perfectly aligned and, depending of theinstallation configuration of the skirt panel 38 along the trailer 20,the front portion 58 of the skirt panel 38 can proximally lean towardthe center of the trailer 20 hence progressively curving or bending andbe located at an angle with the I-beam 142 of the trailer 20 asillustrated in FIG. 23 and FIG. 24. The size of the openings 130 isdesigned to accommodate a flexible installation of the pair of clamps134 that can be located to accommodate position variation with, forinstance, an angle β thereof.

As mentioned above, the strut portion 84 is preferably located on thetrailer 20 to have the exterior of the skirt panel 38 verticallyaligned, flush with the side wall of the trailer 20. The skirt panel 38is hence used as a vertical continuity of the trailer's 20 side wall.The alignment of the strut portion 84 might be challenging to achieve.Alignment guides 250 are provided on the trailer-contacting portion 114to assist the positioning and the installation of the strut portion 84on the trailer 20. The trailer-contacting portion 114 incorporatesalignment guides 250, embodied as protruding members, located atpredetermined locations on the trailer-contacting portion 114 from theskirt panel contacting portion 118 used as reference plane for laterallylocating the skirt panel 38. The alignment guides 250 can be seenthroughout the Figures using some different configurations of distanceand shape. The alignment guides 250 can alternatively be embodies asextrusions molded in the strut portion 84, one or many series of holesfor receiving added pins, metallic or not, removable stems, clips or thelike without departing from the scope of the present description. Oneway to facilitate the installation of the securing mechanism 42 is toassemble the connection portion 80 to the strut portion 84 prior toassemble the connection portion 80 with the I-beam 142. Then thesecuring mechanism 42 can be transversally located along the I-beam 142and the alignment guides 250 are contacting the interior side of thetrailer 20 contour frame 254. The predetermined distance 258 between thealignment guides 250 and the skirt-contacting portion 118, inconsideration of the thickness of the contour frame 254. Thepredetermined distance 258 can be calculated as follows:T−t=d(T=thickness of the contour frame 254; t=thickness of skirt panel38; d=predetermined distance 258 ). In some cases, the thickness of thecontour frame 254 equals the thickness of skirt panel 38 and thealignment guides 250 will be aligned with the skirt-contacting portion118 as illustrated in FIG. 29. In some other cases the thickness of thecontour frame 254 is larger than the thickness of skirt panel 38 and thealignment guides 250 will be protrude beyond the skirt-contactingportion 118 as illustrated in FIG. 34. In some additional cases thethickness of the contour frame 254 is smaller than the thickness ofskirt panel 38 and the alignment guides 250 will be aligned with theskirt-contacting portion 118. The predetermined distance 258 isgenerally between about 7 mm and about 12 mm. The alignment guides 250have, for instance, a height of between about 6 mm to about 25 mm.

As best seen in FIG. 26, a plurality of sets of holes 126 are providedwith a distance 262 variation to accommodate different height of I-beams142. The I-beam 142 height can be different depending of the trailer 20.Tall I-beams 142.1, as best seen in FIG. 27, can be used to increase thestrength of the trailer 20 to maximize the cargo load. For example, theportion of the trailer 20 accommodating the slider rail 24 can requireshorter I-beam 142.2 to clear the contour frame 254 of the trailer 20.The higher set of holes 126.1 is going to be used in cooperation with ahigh I-beam 142.1 while the lower set of holes 126.2 is going to be usedin cooperation with a low I-beam 142.2 as depicted in FIG. 26.

The stabilizer 110 that can be seen in many Figures is an extension ofthe trailer-contacting portion 114 to extend the contact surface withthe I-beam 142 to improve the strength of the upper portion 92 of thestrut portion 84. As best seen in FIG. 29, the transversal force 266,and-or the axial force 268, applied to the skirt panel 38 is transmittedto as a moment 270, a normal reaction 274 and/or an axial reaction 278to the upper portion 92 of the strut portion 84. The stabilizer 110function as a transfer lever element of the loads acting on the strutmember 90 into the I-beam 142 on which the strut portion 84 isinstalled. In addition, the stress transferred towards the openings 130locations due to deformation and flexing of the strut portion 84 isreduced by the stabilizer 110. The radius 282 of sweep of the stabilizer110, illustrated in FIG. 30 and FIG. 31, is following a generallyconstant radius as the radius of the strut member 90 to optimize itscompatibility with the strut member 90. The geometry of the strut member90 is going to be discussed in further details below. Still referring toFIG. 30, the trailer-contacting portion 114 includes a plurality ofreinforcement ribs 290 oriented in different directions, generallyorthogonal to each other, to help minimize deformation of the strutportion 84. The deformation in the Y direction is generally due tomoment created by the weight of the skirt panel 38 and the stressapplied to the strut portion 84 when contacting a foreign object. Ribs290 in the X direction strengthen the skirt-contacting portion 118 fromsagging due to the weight of the skirt panel 38 and the stress appliedto the strut portion 84 when contacting a foreign object. The ribs 290are preferably extending only from one surface, the upper surface or thelower surface, to facilitate the manufacturing process of the part.However, the surface of the stabilizer 110 that is in contact with theI-beam 142 has no ribs 290 to optimize its capacity to sustainsignificant pressure by spreading it over a larger contact surface andto avoid ribs 290 plastic deformation.

It can be appreciated from FIG. 17 and FIG. 29 that the strut portion 84is sized and designed to allow connector portion 80 access through anaccess portion 300 to access the fasteners 138 during installation ofthe securing mechanism 42. One can appreciate from FIG. 29 the angle θbetween the plane 304 where the skirt panel 38 is going to be secured tothe strut portion 84 and the axis 308 of the strut member 90. The angleθ is between about 10 degree and about 30 degree. The angle θ ispreferably between about 12 degree and about 18 degree. Most preferably,the angle θ is between about 15 degree and about 16 degree depending onthe type of use and the type of trailer 20.

A skilled reader would have noticed the shape of the strut member 90that includes a concave portion 320 (when seen from a side of thetrailer 20 toward the trailer 20 ). The concave portion 320 of the strutportion 90 offers some advantages in the manner the strength of thestrut portion 90 is applied to the skirt assembly 30 when an externalforce, that might be caused by contacting an external object, is appliedto the strut portion 84. In light of FIG. 36 throughout FIG. 39, it canbe noted that the side of the cavity of the concave portion 320 has animpact on the amount of force required to buckle and bend the strutmember 90. It can be appreciated the cavity of the concave portion 320toward the skirt panel 38 provides more strength when a force is appliedtoward the trailer 20. In case another behavior requiring a smallerforce to bend the strut member 90 is desirable, the concave portion 320could alternatively be inverted toward the center of the trailer withoutdeparting from the scope of the present description. In the presentsituation where the cavity of the concave portion 320 is located towardthe skirt panel 38, a stronger force directed toward the trailer isrequired to bend the member 90 than if the cavity of the concave portion320 is in the opposite direction toward the center of the trailer 20.The concave portion 320 is going to change progressively as illustratedin FIG. 37 and the section of the concave portion 320 tends tostraighten 346, as illustrated by arrows 324. The resistance of thestrut member 90 will be strong until the strut member 90 buckles 330 andflexes more easily after it has buckled as illustrated in FIG. 39. Thisoffers significant advantages by maintaining strongly the skirt panel 38in an aerodynamically operating configuration 334 that could flex andprovide some deflection 338 until a predetermined load is applied thatovercome the buckling load threshold 330 of the strut member 90 design.In other words, the strut member 90 is going to be strong and maintainan efficient operating configuration despite the loads applied thereonwhen the loads are smaller than the buckling load threshold 330 and willbecome less resistant when buckling and more prone to flex and deflectsignificantly 342 when the load applied thereon is beyond the bucklingload threshold 330. Such a significant load is generally caused by anundesirable event, like a contact with an exterior object, to overcomethe object without damaging the aerodynamic skirt assembly 30. Theoperating configuration 334 position of the strut member 90 isautomatically recovered when the load is significantly reduced, orremoved. Table A below is in reference with FIG. 37.

TABLE A Strut member's Minimum Maximum Depth A  5 mm  25 mm Depth B  6mm  20 mm Depth C  7 mm  15 mm Depth D  8 mm  12 mm Width A 50 mm 180 mmWidth B 60 mm 160 mm Width C 70 mm 140 mm Width D 80 mm 120 mm ThicknessA  2 mm  10 mm Thickness B  3 mm  8 mm Thickness C  4 mm  7 mm ThicknessD 4.5 mm   6 mm

To achieve that, the strut portion 84 can be built from a variety ofpolymers that are flexible and resilient enough to perform the requiredflex. Materials such as, but not limited to, polypropylene, nylon, nylonco-polymer, thermoplastic poly olefin, polyethylene, polycarbonate andthermosets, charged with fibers or not, could be used. Alternatively,other material such as metal that are designed to remain in theirelastic domain can also be suitable to bend, buckle and automaticallyrecover its original shape. Manufacturing processes including, but notlimited to, injection molding, machining, thermoforming and RTM could beused in consideration of the selected material and other constraints.

An additional embodiment is illustrated in FIG. 40 and FIG. 41. In thisembodiment, the strut member 90 includes two concave portions 320.1,320.2 directed toward opposite directions. A transition portion 350where the two concave portions 320.1, 320.2 are merging isillustratively located around the middle portion of the strut member 90.The transition portion 350 delimits a portion of the strut member 90where the flex behavior of the strut member 90 is not within the desiredload-supporting range of either of the two concave portions 320.1,320.2. For instance, the transition portion 350 includes the portion ofthe strut member 90 that is not concave and offers much less resistanceto buckling and bending. The size of the transition portion 350 can varydepending of the particular design of the strut member 90. An advantageof the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 40 and FIG. 41 would be to providea comparable resistance when the skirt panel 38 sustains a force in thedirection of the trailer 20 and a force in the direction opposed to thetrailer 20, taking advantages of the location and the direction of thecavities 320.1, 320.2 to allow resiliency behaviors in both directions.FIG. 40 illustrates a rather flat transition portion 350 while FIG. 41illustrates an alternate design including a transition portion with anoffset portion 354 to ensure one edge of each of the two concaveportions 320.1, 320.2 are co-linear to help standardizing the behaviorof both sides of the strut member 90.

The transition portion 350 can alternatively include reinforcing ribs toprevent bending. Ribs (not illustrated) can be added on each edges ofthe strut member 90 over the length of the transition portion 350.Additional ribs can be localized over the surface of the transitionportion 350. Alternatively, a pair of clamp members (not illustrated)can be added to sandwich the transition portion 350 and secured togetherwith fasteners, for example. The pair of clamp members prevents bendingin the region of the strut member 90 that is covered by the pair ofclamp members. The design, shape, length and location of the pair ofclamp members can be used to modify, adjust and optimize the behavior ofthe strut portion 84.

While the invention has been described in connection with what ispresently considered to be the most practical and preferred embodiments,it is to be understood that the invention is not to be limited to thedisclosed embodiments and elements, but, to the contrary, is intended tocover various modifications, combinations of features, equivalentarrangements, and equivalent elements included within the spirit andscope of the appended claims. Furthermore, the dimensions of features ofvarious components that may appear on the drawings are not meant to belimiting, and the size of the components therein can vary from the sizethat may be portrayed in the figures herein. Thus, it is intended thatthe present invention covers the modifications and variations of theinvention, provided they come within the scope of the appended claimsand their equivalents.

What is claimed is:
 1. A strut for securing an aerodynamic skirt panelto a trailer, the strut comprising: an upper portion for securing anupper portion of the aerodynamic skirt to the trailer; a strut memberconnected, at a first end thereof, to the upper portion of the strut; alower portion for securing a lower portion of the aerodynamic skirt, thelower portion being connected to the strut member at a second endthereof, the strut member including a concave portion adapted to sustaina force applied by air routing on the aerodynamic skirt in anaerodynamic configuration thereof, the strut member being adapted tobuckle and bend when a force exceeding a buckling threshold is appliedon the aerodynamic skirt to move the aerodynamic skirt in an objectavoidance configuration.
 2. The strut of claim 1, wherein the singleconcave portion includes a cavity facing the aerodynamic skirt.
 3. Thestrut of claim 1, wherein the strut portion is made of polymer.
 4. Thestrut of claim 1, wherein the concave portion becomes flat wherebuckling.
 5. The strut of claim 1, wherein the concave portion has adepth of between about 5 mm and 25 mm.
 6. The strut of claim 1, whereinthe concave portion has a width of about between 50 mm and 180 mm. 7.The strut of claim 1, wherein the strut comprises a trailer-contactingportion for securing the strut on the trailer.
 8. The strut of claim 7,wherein the strut comprises a skirt panel contacting portion, the skirtpanel contacting portion being about a 90-degree angle in respect withthe trailer-contacting portion.
 9. The strut of claim 7, wherein thetrailer-contacting portion includes a pair of openings for receiving apair of clamps securing the trailer-contacting portion to the trailer.10. The strut of claim 7, wherein the trailer-contacting portionincludes a mechanism to locate the trailer-contacting portion in respectof a side of the trailer.
 11. An aerodynamic skirt system comprising: askirt panel; a plurality of struts, each strut comprising an upperportion for securing an upper portion of the skirt panel to the trailer;a strut member connected, at a first end thereof, to the upper portionof the strut; a lower portion for securing a lower portion of the skirtpanel, the lower portion being connected to the strut member at a secondend thereof, the strut member including a concave portion adapted tosustain a force applied by air routing on the aerodynamic skirt in anaerodynamic configuration thereof, the strut member being adapted tobuckle and bend when a force exceeding a buckling threshold is appliedon the aerodynamic skirt to move the aerodynamic skirt in an objectavoidance configuration.
 12. The aerodynamic skirt system of claim 11,wherein the single concave portion includes a cavity facing theaerodynamic skirt.
 13. The aerodynamic skirt system of claim 11, whereinthe strut portion is made of polymer.
 14. The aerodynamic skirt systemof claim 11, wherein the concave portion becomes flat where buckling.15. The aerodynamic skirt system of claim 11, wherein the concaveportion has a depth of between about 5 mm and 25 mm.
 16. The aerodynamicskirt system of claim 11, wherein the concave portion has a width ofabout between 50 mm and 180 mm.
 17. The aerodynamic skirt system ofclaim 11, wherein the strut comprises a trailer-contacting portion forsecuring the strut on the trailer.
 18. The strut of claim 17, whereinthe strut comprises a skirt panel contacting portion, the skirt panelcontacting portion being about a 90-degree angle in respect with thetrailer-contacting portion.
 19. The aerodynamic skirt system of claim17, wherein the trailer-contacting portion includes a pair of openingsfor receiving a pair of clamps securing the trailer-contacting portionto the trailer.
 20. The aerodynamic skirt system of claim 17, whereinthe trailer-contacting portion includes a mechanism to locate thetrailer-contacting portion in respect of a side of the trailer.